Construction toy



Get. 22, 1929. I c, GILBERT 1,732,799

CONSTRUCTION TOY Filed July 20, 1927 Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNIT DSTATES PATENT OFFICE ALFRED C. GILBERT, OF HAMIDEN, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS.

TO THE A. C. GILBERT COMPANY, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATIONOF MARYLAND CONSTRUCTION TOY Application filed July 20,

This invention relates to construction toys, and more particularly to aplurality of construction elements adapted to be connected together tomake a small wheel toy, such as a car truck for example, and including atruck frame or trunnion member adapted to connect the wheel axles to thebody of the toy.

Toys of this character are featured by havlo ing their parts capable ofbeing readily assembled and detached, so that a variety of differentmodels and toys may be made from a set of such elements, and also by thefact that the models when made, simulate actual working devices so thatthe toy becomes an instrument of instruction as well as an enjoyableplaything. It will, of course, be obvious that the toy sets may be moreeconomically made the fewer the number of diilerent parts which must besupplied with each one, that is, the more models that can be made fromparts of the same character the cheaper the price of the set. It is thena considerable advantage to have various parts intel-changeable andadapted for use in various relations and positions, for even if agreater number or more duplication of such parts is required, it willstill be more economical than to supply the same number of differentelements.

One object of this invention is the provision of new and improved meansfor securing the body of toys to the wheel structures or trucks.

Another object of this invention is to provide toy elements suchthat thesame elements may be used to form a two wheel truck or a four wheeltruck.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a truckmember which may be secured to a toy body in different positions, so asto attach to the toy a greater number of wheels when secured in oneposition than when secured in another position.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel featuresand combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a con- 1927. Serial No. 207,139.

struction toy, embodying my invention, the toy shown being supplied withwhat is termed a two wheel truck;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, showing the manner of securingthe truck member or trunnion piece to the body of the 3 is a sideelevational view similar to F ig. 1, but showing a toy supplied withfour wheel trucks;

Fig. 4t. is a fragmentary sectional view of the toy shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of the truck or trunnion member.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown awheel toy in the form of a flat car or wagon truclr. The body of the toyconsists of a flat rectangular plate 10, having side flanges 11. Theseflanges may be formed integrally with the plate 10, or as shown on thedrawing, they may be formed by connecting to the plate 10, strips ofangle cross section by means of the bolts 12 and 13. The flanges 11project substantially at right angles to the surface of the plate 10,and secured thereto are truck or trunnion members 14. In general, fourof these members will be secured to each toy, two on each side, one ofthese being adjacent the front end of thetoy and the other adj acent therear end.

As shown in Fig. 5, the trunnion members 14; are provided withconverging lateral edges 15 and 16, so that the element is considerablywider at one end 17 than at the other end 18. A pair of perforations 19and 20 are provided adjacent the edges at the wider end, while a singleperforation 21 of similar size" is provided adjacent the smaller end.Directly below the opening 21, is provided an opening of larger size 22,the use of which will presently appear. Adjacent each of the openings19, 20 and 21, the member 14 is provided with a pair of projecting lugs23, the lugs near the opening 21 being provided upon a pedestal portion24- above the converging edges 15 and 16. This pedestal member 2 1 isconnected to the base strip 25 by a stud 26, in which the opening 22 ispartially formed.

and 20 of the truck pieces, and corresponding openings 29 of the flangemembers. It may be noted that these flange members are also providedwith large openings, 30 corresponding in size with the opening 22 in thetruck member and alternating with the smaller openings 29. Theseopenings are equally spaced from center to center along the flangemember, and the center distance is so calcu lated that alternateopenings of either size will register with the openings 19 and 20.

In this instance, as described, the wider end of the trunnion piece isadjacent the body plate 10, as shown in Fig. 2, the narrower end 18projecting downwardly so that the opening 22- lies below the lower edgeof the flanges 11 to receive the axles 2.8. The ears 23 abut the lowerside of they body of the toy, so that the trunnion member will be heldfirmly in position. If it is desired to use a smaller axle member andsmallerwheels, such a member may be passed through the opening 21 andthus, when my improved truck member is employed, a two wheel truckhaving either large or small wheels may be constructed.

In Figs 3 and 1 of the drawing, I have shown a toy having four wheeltrucks connected thereto. In this instance, they are on each side of thetoy body, two front wheels and two rearwheels. In this construction thesmaller end 18 of the truck member 14 is secured to the flange 11, asshown more especially in Fig. i, with the cars 23 adjacent that end ofthe member abutting the lower side of the toy body, to hold the truckmember firmly in position and a bolt being passed through one of thesmall openings, 29 of the flange 11 and the. opening 21 of the truckmember. Axles 32 and 33 are passed through the openings 19 and 20 andwheels 34 and 35 are mounted on the projecting ends of the axles.

It will be obvious that by merely reversing the truck piece andconnecting the opposite end to the toy body, the number of wheelscarried by the truck piece may be increased so that I may, with the sameelements, build either a two or a four wheel truck. It will also beobvious that as the truck member 14 comprises a single flat relativelythin piece of material lying all in one plane, it may be veryeconomically constructed and at the same time may be firmly securedtothe other parts of the toy with which it is, adapted to be used.

While I have shown and described some preferred embodiments of myinvention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all ofthe details shown, but is capable of modification and variation withinthe spirit of the invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A truck member for construction toys, comprising a relatively broadbase portion, converging lateral portions connected thereto at one end,a pedestal portion narrower than the base portions at the other end ofsaid lateral portions, :1 perforation in the pedestal portion andadjacent each end of the base portions, and projecting lugs tlormedadjacent the perforations.

2. A truck member for construction toys, comprising a relatively broadbase portion, converging lateral portions connected thereto at one end,a pedestal portion narrower than the base portions at the other end ofsaid lateral portions, a perforation in the pedestal portion andadjacent each end of the base portions, and projecting lugs formedadjacent the perforations, and all parts of said member lying in thesame plane.

3. An element for use in constructing toys or nodels, said elementcon'iprising a flat plane member having a relatively wide base and arelatively narrow opposite edge, there being a plura ity of perforationsin said element in which other elements of a toy structure may bereceived, certain of said perforations being adjacent the wide base andat least one of said perforations being adjacent the narrow edge, andmeans adjacent the openings in said base and adjacent the opening insaid narrow edge adapted to engage other elements of the toy structureto secure said member against movement about elements received in saidopenings, said means comprising spaced lugs, two for each of saidopenings.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of July,1927.

, ALFRED C. GILBERT.

